Probate & Estate Administration
Aretha’s Handwritten Will Found?
Aretha Franklin died on the 16th of August 2018 at the age of 76 after an ongoing battle with pancreatic cancer and at the time no Will could be found. Recent news reports have now revealed how a handwritten Will has been discovered under a sofa cushion in the Queen of Soul’s home in Detroit.…
Read MoreYou’re The Executor So You’re Liable!
Make sure you’re up to date on the responsibilities that come with being an executor before you agree to take on the role. In the 2018-2019 tax year, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) opened a staggering 5,537 Inheritance Tax (IHT) investigations. This represents a 3.4% increase in comparison to the previous 2017-2018 tax year. Staggeringly…
Read MoreSometimes It Matters Who Dies First!
Maybe it is time to have your Will reviewed? A recent case going through the courts has brought this issue to the fore. Under common law where two people die at, or very near, the same time, and at least one of them is entitled to part or all of the other’s estate on their…
Read MoreIs A Divorce On The Cards?
You may be aware that marriage revokes a Will unless you state in your Will that you are making it in contemplation of marriage. That’s not the same for divorce. Divorce will not revoke your Will Where a person makes a Will and subsequently divorces, has their marriage annulled or dissolves their civil partnership then…
Read MoreWhat You Get Clobbered With When You Die!
When someone dies, their estate comprising all they owned at the time of death less any debts and will be passed to their beneficiaries. Beneficiaries can be named if the deceased had written a Will, otherwise it will pass down the family tree in accordance with the Laws of Inheritance which are legally binding and…
Read MoreNew Online Probate Service Helps The Bereaved
HM, Courts & Tribunals Service made a major announcement in mid-January this year, saying their online probate service would be greatly enhanced to make applying for probate simpler and easier. The intention of this updated service is to enable people applying for probate to do so from the comfort of their own home, even with…
Read MoreTreasury Income From Those Dying Without A Will Doubles In A Year!
The value of assets owned by Britons who die intestate has nearly doubled in just a year, which means that the estates of more and more people are being transferred to HM Treasury. Where there is no Will naming a beneficiary and no next of kin can be found, any unclaimed assets are passed to…
Read MoreAvicii, left no plans for his £20 million estate
Musician, DJ and record producer, Avicii died on 20th April 2018 after reportedly taking his own life. The Swedish electronic dance artist whose real name was Tim Bergling was born in 1989. Despite being just 28 years of age at the time of his death, he left behind an incredible legacy through his musical career and…
Read MoreWill Overturned After Brothers Challenge Its Validity
A High Court Judge has overturned the Will of a ‘significantly vulnerable’ man who left 95% of his estate to his carer. David Poole had suffered a motorcycle accident earlier in his life and had been awarded £1 million in damages. Since 1994, he had been living in the care of Mark Everall under a…
Read MoreHow To Avoid Your Will Being Contested
Could Your Will Be Contested? More and more Wills are being contested in the High Court and last year the number of disputes rose 80% – the highest number of cases since 2007 It is believed booming property prices are the “main motivation” for children and other family members to contest a Will, but that’s…
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